Sewing machine



E. LIKE SEWING MACHINE 'July 25, 1944.

Filed March 11, 1941 A TTORNEY5 Patented July 25, 1944 SEWING MACHINE Ernest Like, Portsmouth, om, assignor m The Selby Shoe Company, Portsmouth, Ohio, a corporatlon of Ohio Application March 11, 1941, Serial No. 382,764

2 Claims. (Cl. 112-82) This invention relates to an improvement in a conventional type of Singer sewing machine. The structure of the invention is particularly useful in sewing certain shoe parts and an embodiment of the invention particularly adapted to this field will be herein disclosed as the preferred embodiment of the invention. However, the machine is not limited to this utility as will be apparent from the ensuing detailed description of its construction and operation.

The conventional Singer sewing machine used in shoe manufacture includes a fiat standard or article support with which a shuttle and bobbin are associated and into which the needle enters on its downward stroke. In a conventional shoe sewing operation, such as, for example, the sewing of an upper to a flat outsole, this I base is used as a support for one of the articlesbeing sewn, in this particular instance, the outsole. In many of the conventional, shoesewing operations this standard or article support is not only not an impediment but is, in fact, an advantageous feature of the machine.

However, there are certain rparticular sewing operations, such as, for example, the sewing of an upper to an upstanding flange on a molded outsole in which this standard or article support is a great disadvantage because this typ of sewing operation requires the formation of a stitch line at a point which it is impossible for the needle to reach because of the size and shape of this article support. Otherwise stated, the conven tional sewing machine is not sufliciently flexible to meet a sewing problem which involves the attachment of a piece of material such as a shoe I upper to an upstanding flange on a molded outsole where the attachment must be made along a line comparatively close to the outsole, for ex-,

ample, a fraction of an inch away.

' In order to arrive at the solution of this particular problem, it has been the inventors concept to simply eliminate the base or article support conventional in the type of sewing machine under consideration, and utilize as the sole article supporting surface the face of the shuttle and a tubular housing which journals and protects the shuttle and bobbin. This combination is sufllciently small in area to permit its positioning close to the base of the upstanding flange of a molded shoe article in the example under consideration and it can even be inserted in the went a shoe to provide a stitch line around the toe at a point near the sole.

Once having the concept of a complete elimination of the article support it has been a problem of the inventor to provide a housing for the shuttle and bobbin and the various other elements directly associated with them, to provide means for transmitting an oscillating movement to the shuttle and to provide and arrange the sewing machine base to the shuttle face.

Another object has been the provision of a gear arrangement in the base of the machine through which power can be transmitted to a sectional shaft housed in the angular arm.

Another object has been the adaptation of the moving parts of the conventional sewing machine to the particular and unique object and problem under consideration.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the further and more detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front view of a sewing machine embodying the present invention shown partly in section and with a shoe placed in normal sewing position to better illustrate the utility of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken through the base of the sewins machine.

Figure 3 is a detail view of one of the universal joints in the shaft which oscillates the shuttle,

. Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view along the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and shows the adjustable connection between the shuttle shaft and the driving mechanism of a sewing machine.

Figures 5, 6, 'l and 8 are fragmentary top plan views of the up-turned end of the shuttle carry ing arm illustrating in sequence the various positions of the shuttle in relation to the thread in each stitch taking cycle.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view along theline 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the upturned end of the arm with the shuttle in position to be dropped in place.

Figure 11 is a view of the rear of the shuttle illustrating the course of the bobbin thread from one extremity of the shuttle to the other.

Referring again to the drawing, a sewing machine base is indicated generally at I2, Figure 1. This base may be bolted to a table, bench or other suitable supporting element. A bracket I3 is amxed to the base by bolts It and carries an angular tubular arm indicated generally at is. This arm may extend at right angles from the base. The upper casing l6 shown in dot-dash lines is afllxed to the top of the base I! or may be integral therewith. This upper casing houses belt in the usual manner. These elements constitute no part of the invention. They are not shown or described in detail.

The various elements associated with the operation of the needle 2| form no part of the invention but have been illustrated and may be briefly described to provide a complete understanding of the operation of the machine. A conventional adjustable presser foot I8 is mounted on a pivotal plate It. Thin and flexible materials often gather or wrinkle directly in front of the needle when a presser foot is not utilized. However, when a presser foot is lowered to exert a relatively light pressure on the material, it will smooth out the wrinkles before they reach the needle. In the case of the shoe, as illustrated, th material will not gather or wrinkle, but the foot when lowered to exert a light pressure on the leather will hold the shoe firmly in place and prevent it from being jerked upwardly during the up-stroke of the needle. The ears -20 attached to the plate I19 are also conventional and enable the operator to rotate the plate carrying the presser foot and thereby keep the foot ll aligned longitudinally with the stitch line. In the drawing, the foot II is raised slightly from the shoe and turned at right angles to the stitch line for illustrative purposes. The needle 2| which may be removable is afilxed in a reciprocating chuck 22 and is threaded in the usual manner. In its downward stroke th needle passes through a slot (not shown) in the presser foot I8.

As illustrated in Figure 4, the swinging arm I! carries a roller 23 loosely mounted on one end and engaged in a slot 24 of a block 25 adjustably carried on a rack bar 26. The block 25 is afilxed to the rack bar 28 by means of a set screw 21. The rack bar 26 includes a gear rack portion 28 at one end which is adapted to engage a gear 29 pinned on a vertical shaft 22. This gear 29 is enclosed in a housing II which is fixed to the inside of the base by the bolts 14 engaging flanges 32 on either side of the housing as best shown in Figure 2. The gear rack portion 28 of the bar 2| passes through 'an opening 33 in a wall 34 of the housing to engage the gear 2!. At its other end, the rack bar 26 is slidably journalled ina wall of the base II.

The vertical shaft 2| extends through an opening in the bottom wall II of the housing and is held in place by a collar 3 pinned to the shaft above the bottom wall and a bevel gear 31 pinned to the shaft directly below the bottom wall 35. A second bevel gear 38 pinned to a shaft 38 meshes with the bevel gear 31. The shaft 3! extends at right angles to shaft 20 through a bore 40 in the section 4| of the bracket II and continues out through a bore 42 in the angular tubular arm I5. The first section 43 of the arm I! may exof the vertical arm portion 45. conventional driving mechanism for the needle tend at right angles to the base l2. The second section 44 may be turned upward at an angle of approximately 45 and the third section 45 may be turned upward perpendicular to the first section 43, all as illustrated in Figure l. The various sections of the shaft may be Joined by the universal joints 46-. These Joints may be exposed by notches in the arm to prevent binding.

At the uppermost end of the third section II of the shaft 38 an enlarged head 41 is provided and this head is journalled in a counterbore l! A key N is fixed to this head 47 as at El, Figure 9, and is adapted to ride in a second and larger counterbore 52 in the vertical arm section I.

The shaft 29 may also include an extension 53 to the right of the bevel gear 38. This extension carries an arm pinned to the end thereof and adapted to engage a bolt Ii projecting inwardly through the wall I of the base. This arm engages the bolt at the terminus of each stroke and constitutes a positive stop. This shaft extension 53 may be iournalled in a bushing in the cross bracket 51 in the base. The cross bracket 51 cooperates with a collar 52 to hold the shaft against axial displacement.

- the top of the head 41 to the upper edge of the vertical arm section 45 should slightly exceed the height of the shuttle in order to allow the passage of the thread beneath the shuttle without disturbing the positioning of the shuttle in the counterbore. The shuttle II includes a bore Cl which houses a bobbin 62. A lip 62 conflflurated to catch the needle thread 64 on the return stroke as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 is provided in the outer periphery of the shuttle. The walls 65 and 86 of the spline 60 taper toward the top and bottom of the shuttle as shown at 61 and 68. Clearances at I! and II are provided between the key 50 and the shuttle spline 60 as shown in Figure 8. v

The bobbin thread is dropped through the opening H in the bottom of the shuttle pulled upward through a slot 12 (see Figure 11) then threaded through the bore 12 to the top of the shuttle.

A portion of the arm 45 is cut away as at I4 and a groove 15 is provided in the arm below the counterbore 62 in alignment with the cutaway portion to provide a way for the needle 2|. A housing 16 may be provided over thisneedle way.

In the operation of the machine the swinging arm I! imparts a. reciprocating motion to the bar 28. The gear rack portion 20 of the bar meshes with the small gear 20 and bevel gear 21 meshes with bevel gear ll on shaft 39. This imparts an oscillating motion to the shuttle driving shaft 39 and in turn imparts a similar motion to the shuttle.

Q The above description includes so much of the entire structure as represents the improvement provided by the invention. The exact operation of the machine which will be hereinafter do Sewing operation In Figure there is illustrated the position of the shuttle at rest with a length of the bobbin thread 80 projecting through the bore 13. As the operation begins, the shuttle 59 is moved clockwise to the position shown in Figure 6 with the lip 63 directly to the left of the slot I4. The needle 2i then moves to its downward position and as it does so places a portion of the needle thread 64 in the return path of the lip. However, as the shuttle was moved to the Figure 6 position before the needle came down the bobbin thread 80 is then at the left of the needle.

Figure 7 illustrates the first phase of the return stroke. The lip 63 has picked up the thread 64 and is carrying it along. Since the shuttle 59 fits loosely in the counterbore 52 and since the head 41 has a somewhat smaller diameter than the shuttle and has its top edge rounded as at 8|, it will be seen that the thread 64 will readily pass beneath the shuttle as shown in Figure 9.

Since, as previously stated, the distance from the top of the head 41 to the upper edge of the arm 45 is slightly greater than the height of the shuttle, the thread 54 is free to pass below the shuttle. However, on the return stroke the length of bobbin thread 80 will be blocked by the needle 2i and the thread 64 which passes through the opening in the lower portion of the needle in the conventional manner.

In Figure 8, the shuttle has returned to its I position at rest. Immediately upon reaching this position the needle is retracted, thus thread 64 is drawn up and tightened about the extended portion of the bobbin thread 80. As previously described, the wall 65 of the shuttle spline is tapered toward the top and bottom of the shuttle as at 61-81. This allows the thread 64 to be slipped from the lip 63 through the clearances provided at 69 and 10. The thread 64 will then come in contact with the tapered spline wall 66 and move the shuttle counter-clockwise until the key 50 abuts thespline wall 65 thus providing a clearance as shown at 82, Figure 5, to allow the thread 84 to pass free of the shuttle and to be tightened about the bobbin thread.

When a shoe such as 85 is in place as shown in Figure 1 and the machine completes the cycle as described, one lock stitch is formed. The molded sole 86, which is a type of shoe outsole formed from a single piece of sole leather having its outer edges turned upwardly to provide an upstanding flange, may be sewed to the upper by the illustrated use of the machine of the invention. It will be noted that the stitch line in the example is quite close to the bottom or base portion of the molded sole and extends completely around the sole. A stitch line so positioned would have been absolutely impossible in a sewing machine of the conventional type because of the interference of the article support. This dimculty would have been encountered particularly in providing the stitch line around the toe which is essential to the sewing operation desired.

Through the use of the machine of the invention it has been found'possible to provide various designs of shoes embodying the molded sole which previously had been sewed entirely by hand. An entirely new line of designs has been opened up by reason of the invention. However, as previously stated, it is apparent that the invention will have utility in other shoe sewing operations and in fields other than that of shoe manufacture. The particular sewing operation herein described is given only as an example but does indicate the potentialitiesof the machine.

Having fully described the invention, I desire to be limited only by the ensuing claims:

1. In a sewing machine, a base, a tubular arm extending laterally of said base for supporting a shuttle and providing a work support, said arm consisting 01 a main horizontal portion, said horizontal portion having a vertical extension at its outer end integrally formed therewith, a shuttle loosely supported in said vertical extension, and means for imparting an oscillating motion to the shuttle through the arm, said means consisting of a, flexible shaft, said shaft disposed in and generally following the axis of the arm and having the upper end of its vertical portion provided with means for driving the shuttle.

-2. In a sewing machine, a base, a tubular arm extending laterally of the base for supporting a shuttle and providing a work support, said arm including a main horizontal portion, a vertical extension at the outer end thereof and an oblique portion connecting the horizontal portion and vertical extension, a shuttle loosely supported in said vertical extension and means disposed within the arm and extending from the base to the shuttle for imparting an oscillating movement to the shuttle.

ERNEST LIKE. 

